Welcome to the new year!  I hope yours is happy, healthy, and full of wonderful opportunities, experienced Carpe Diem style!

It’s been a while since I’ve written, I know.  I have these grand ideas that pop into my head around that time, of things to do, things to create, to give away as gifts for loved ones, or to get done around the house by the time the New Year comes.  These ideas, of course, leave me feeling both productive and overwhelmed, depending on the minute you catch me.  Therefore, things get dropped, and one of the first of those was this particular blog/website.

I’ve made quite a few things that were given as gifts that I’ll be able to post about.  I didn’t want to do so until they were given away, since some of them may have been intended for you, dear reader.  Now that all gifts have been distributed, I’ll slowly but surely turn them into pages full of information you didn’t know you wanted.

Today, however, is different.  Today is a preparation day.  I don’t return to my job until Tuesday, but I want to make sure that I can use tomorrow as a “do anything I want” day.

Do you remember that scene in Mary Poppins, where the maid says, “This ‘ere is bakin’ day, and ye know how cook is!”

That’s today for me, though I’m not a baker.

The plan?  Get a bunch of food prepped for use later.  Specifically:

• Ragu Bolognese
  • This will be the second time I’ve made this recipe, and it’s to freeze in individual servings for easy pasta meals later.  First version worked like a charm, so let’s see if I can repeat it.
• Chicken Enchilada soup
  • So, so easy, and lasts for around a week of dinners
• Orange Chicken
  • Doing a double batch of this, for use as dinners and lunches for both of us, since MM has determined he likes it!
• Lunch Salads
  • These are for me – I just like to get them made and in their individual containers so that I can grab and go on the way out the door in the morning

Depending on my mood the second half of the day, I may delve into cookie making, just to bring something fun into the office.  But don’t count on it, office peeps.  I tend to bite off more than I can chew in the morning.  🙂

And now, with my tea waiting for me, it’s time to make a list of what needs to happen when, so that I can be as efficient as possible.  Let’s start with preheating the oven for the chicken used in the salads and soup…

Happy New Year!